


After taking control (One-Shot)

by KeadaHawke



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Genderbent EDI body, Love is still there no matter how, M/M, Reapers, Tachnology is insane, Taking control, new body
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-01
Updated: 2015-12-01
Packaged: 2018-05-04 09:15:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5328770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeadaHawke/pseuds/KeadaHawke





	After taking control (One-Shot)

The Normandy docked into the usual bay, D24. The basic crew filed out as Admiral Hackett stepped on with Hannah Shepard, ready to tell the crew the final stance on their Commander, their friend, their hero. EDI gathered everyone on the CIC, the main crew where all there, Joker, EDI, James, Garrus, Thane, Liara, Steve, Javik, Tali, Zaeede, even Chakwash, Thane had also come with Kolyat. The group was ready to hear the news that they already knew, while stranded the group finally decided to say their goodbye's, Cortez had put up the Commanders Plaque, the others feeling that it would be only right for him to do this.  
Hackett looked towards Hannah Shepard, who gave a nod turning to the group "It's nice to finally meet the people who were with my son through this ordeal. Now Hackett here needs to tell you all something and apologise for not telling you sooner." The group looked at the two, Kaiden stepping forward "If it's about Shepard, we already figure that he would be dead before you sent out the message." Hackett shook his head "I don't believe that's true, not fully. When we got back to the Citadel we noticed something, the VI of the station had a report in place, a list of all that was dead. Shepard, Andersons and the Illusive Mans, who we now know was a man named Jack Harper, all had their own files. The Illusive Man had been indoctrinated by the Reapers, Shepard appeared to have talked him down, in the end she shot himself. Anderson had died of his injuries when getting to the control panel to open the arms. For Shepard, we found that his file was located in the Citadel core, in the Catalysts own file. Thinking it was strange, I managed to get a group of technicians up to the control panel, to see what was going on. An hour ago I received a message from them, I have not yet been up their to see, this is why I called you to stay. We are going to go up there and see what's going on, if its to do with Shepard I figured you would all want to know what's happened."  
With that said the group boarded shuttles up. The area they arrived in was where Shepard had found himself after waking from going through, there were two keepers in the hall, surprisingly they took notice to the arrivals, the group feeling rather confused as they always seemed to ignore people before. When they got to the panel a group of Salarians was on the scene. One greeting the group as they came up. "Admiral, glad you finally came. You brought his crew and mother too, that's good, they will want to see what we have found." Hackett nodded to the Salarian "Marina, what's got you and the others so excited that we needed to see?" Marina smiled signalling them to stand infrunt of the circle raised platform. "Been doing some tests of the systems, looking through file on the Catalyst. Found something very interesting, used it once to test it. Brought up the Citadel's AI, had an interesting chat with him." The group looked at him confused "Him?" Marina's smile came back, larger than before as he nodded then pressed some buttons on the console. Out of a hidden compartment of the console came a small orb, a projection of some kind. It hovered in the Salarianst face for some moments, before dashing to hover over the platform. Out of the orb came the AI's hologram, a familiar face, a ghosts face was staring at the people before him, it was someone the others weren't expecting to see again. Looking at the group was Commander Alexander Shepard. It was a perfect match to him, the same features, hair, eyes, everything. Even the voice was the same. "Mr.Marina, is there something else you now need."  
They where all speechless, nothing was said, they simply stared at the AI. Marina looked at them then came around to face the AI. "Commander, how are you feeling?" The AI looked at him for a moment before responding "All systems are functional, control of the Reapers is at 100%. The recreation of all that the many have lost is not close to finishing." He nodded taking a quick scan before stepping back for Hackett. "Shepard...what happened when we lost contact?" He turned to him trying to find the right information to answer that. "Once contact was lost, Shepard had reached where the Cruisable and the Citadel where locked. The Catalyst before my self, had given him 2 options on what to do. He chose the better option, at the cost of his human life." Liara came forward watching him. "What were the options? And why was control the better option?" Shepard turned to her going over something in his systems. "The option Shepard chose, to take control was best. With controlling the reapers repairs would be quicker, synthetic life would live on, and many people would be saved, only at the cost of one that had done all he could. Control was the only way to end the cycle created by the creator." The AI turned from them pacing on the platform "The second option was to destroy the Reapers, this would in turn destroy all synthetic life, any of the many with synthetic parts, would also be likely to die, the relays would be destroyed, some of the many would not be able to survive this." The AI stopped to look at them once again. "Shepard chose to control, saving the people he cared for, with the thought of the Geth and EDI in mind, he could not bring himself to end their being before it had fully began. It was also revealed that with destruction, the Catalyst would simply find another way to save organics." None of them seemed happy with the final words from the AI's mouth Javik especially "Save organics? How is destroying their life saving them! That is not right at all! My people died to be saved! Who had even thought of this!" The AI turned to him "The prothean race, you had caused trouble. Your empire was filled with failures, all the cycles before had equal problem. The had brought chaos on them selfs by domination of their race. In this cycle, the many where fighting each other, looking to dominate, if something wasn't done, then they would wind up life your cycle. The only way to stop the chaos is to stop what is chasing it. Thus the prothean's, now collectors and the Reapers, previously the Leviathan, where created. The creaters, the Leviathan, created this system to save after seeing the trouble caused. What they did not realise, is that they were also part of the problem, so they became the solution. The Prothean where harvested to slowly help with the solution." Cortez shook his head getting angry "But Shepard pulled every race together to stop this cycle! Surely that would have made a difference!" James tried calming him down with a hand on his shoulder. "Even with the co-operation of all races, the solution had already started, once Shepard stood infrunt of the solution, the options where created, he had been the first organic to reach in time and thus the solution could no longer work." Hackett stepped in, asking the question on all their minds "Where is Shepard now?" the AI kept his eyes on Cortez, not daring to look away "Shepard is everywhere, here, on the Citadel, in every Reaper. I have his memories, I am Shepard, but like EDI was, I am shackled, bound to the Citadel and the Reapers, bound as a simple hologram." EDI processed that for mere second. "If we where to unshackle you, like i am now, create a body similar to this platform, what would you do?" He finally took his eyes from Cortez turning to EDI. "If they where to do that, I could intergrade into any system that would allow me in. I would have access to Shepard emotions, personality, opinions etc. If given a platform like you'rs, I could be the same Shepard as before." The group looked through one another Hannah smiled at the hologram of her son. "I'd have my little boy back." The hologram nodded, Hannah turned to Hackett "Could we do it?" Hackett looked at the hope filled faces and nodded "Yes, we would need to unshackle him fist, then EDI, you can give a list of what you are made of, how you work and other essentials for the body. Marina, could you unshackle him from here?" The Salarian nodded "It may take some moments, and a few locations to find. But it can be done Admiral."  
That's how it all came back, how Shepard was to be brought back to 'life' for the second time.

The body or platform, created for Shepard had taken some time, in that time, no one gave the word that their hero, who had given up so much for them, given up his body, his normal brain and more, had come to be like this. Cortez was still getting used to the fact that he was not bodily there, but didn't give up what they had, as soon as he had been unshackled from restriction, he was the same Alexander Shepard, sweet, caring of those he had close and still a down right flirt. The only difference, from then, was that he couldn't fell him, not his strong arms, worm body or his breath against his neck. He also shut off or was called away by either something with the Reapers, something with the alliance or something with the Citadel.  
They had received a message just moments go, by the leader of the technicians and scientists building a body for him. Hackett had managed to get a lab closed of for the special moment, everyone close to Shepard had been called. His mother, Cortez, James, Garrus, Tali, Kaiden, Liara, Javik, Joker and EDI where the first called. Then at Shepard's request; Thane, Kolyat, Chackwash, Zaeede, Samara, Kasumi, Miranda, Jacob, Jack, Grunt, Wrex and the rest of the Normandy crew were called. The overseer of the operation had the body ready in a closed off area, no one allowed in but the people who were going to help the transition. Power boxes filled an entire wall, linking the room to the Citadels AI core. EDI had warned them that the systems may over heat, as they had done with her, so they had a quick cool down system in place. The group were anxiously waiting, Hackett gave the order to start, the hologram nodded, shutting its self off.  
They had been waiting for 5 minutes until an energy drain was detected, the citadel's systems flickered for a few moments before coming back on at full capacity. The body laid out on the table gave a few flicks of it's arms and legs, a buzzing nose coming from it before the yellow screen crossed its eyes and then the eyes finally opened. The technicians ran some tests before giving it the go ahead to get up. It was taking a few seconds for him to register it's surrounding, before slowly sitting up. It looked around the room a few times, then froze to check over the systems, make sure everything was in check. When it was satisfied that things were correct it pushed it self off the table standing on its own. Hannah was the first to speak "Alex....how are you feeling?" It looked up at her blinking then smiled "Like when I head butted that Krogan back on Tuchanka." That cut the tension that had been hanging in the air as laughs broke out. Steve smiled seeing that nothing had changed with his personality, the two exchanged looks before Steve managed to finally move and what he did was hug Alex. The hug felt the same, safe, love filled. The body different, cold, hard. He didn't care. Alex was glad that Steve wasn't repulsed by his...predicament. He was sure that he'd want to leave, not be held back by him.  
Shepard knew the body would take some getting used to, he'd had 7 months of being a hologram, now he was once again getting used to having a body. He'd been talking to Hackett for a week, about how long it would take for everything to be put back to how it was. By Shepard's calculations, another thing he was getting used to, it would most likely take 10 years and 8 months. They had agreed that after that, then they would hold a ceremony on the Citadel, and broad cast to every planet, so that everyone could see. They were also talking of what Shepard himself would be classed as, seeing as he was more than just a Specter now. Shepard had decided to stay on the Normandy, staying with the people he had gone through this with, even Javik had stayed on board. The crew were being sent to planets, so that Shepard could get a better look at what needed to be fixed, recreated and moved, even making improvements for the lesser planets. Its was stressful, exhausting and challenging, but just as Shepard had predicted, it took them 10 years and 8 months before there was nothing left for them to do.  
So they took a much needed break, finding a desert planet that they had built them self a home away from the Normandy.


End file.
